


Wish

by lemon_and_chai



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 08:07:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21950074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemon_and_chai/pseuds/lemon_and_chai
Summary: Tezuka has a wish, and goes to a place with the power to grant it, or so he's heard... at the risk of his own life.
Relationships: Fuji Shuusuke/Tezuka Kunimitsu
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Wish

**Author's Note:**

  * For [imperfekti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imperfekti/gifts).



Perhaps this was a fool's errand, Tezuka thought, motioning for his horse to enter the empty stable. 

He left his beloved stallion fresh hay and water that he found, eyeing the one other horse, a white Orvol trotter that seemed to be in good health. 

Other than the trotter, no one else was present, man or domesticated animal. The entire complex was eerie, a smattering of buildings from multiple eras built on top of each other like a cake with each layer made by a different chef. It was even stranger than he'd expected.

The small stable was one of the few buildings separate from the amalgamation. Beyond that was abandoned farm land, overrun with a mix of tomato vines gone wild, fruit trees, and native grasses, covering rusted, decayed train tracks. Then endless forest, like a boundary, though in the far distance he could still see the mountains he'd crossed.

The conglomerate of buildings were far more daunting. Near the center, higher than the others, he could make out the spires of an ancient cathedral. Clustered around it was a mixture of stone walls, different colors and textures visible even from where he stood, and then closest to him, the newer buildings that were still centuries old, made of metal, glass, and refined wood. The way they mounded and wound around the cathedral, with no clear path in sight, made them look very much like a maze.

There were no signs that anyone lived here. If it weren't for other horse, Tezuka would have thought he was alone.

He walked for some time, until the road changed from dust to cobblestone and split into four paths. The walls rose around him, blocking his view of what lay beyond. Did it matter what path he took? If he went the wrong way, could he simply return the way he’d come, or… from the stories he was told, few returned from this venture. Did the traps start here?

Looking at the paths, he could tell that only one of them had been constructed at the same time as the one he was on, based on how the cobblestone laid. But did that mean that path was safe? He laid down his hand to touch the stones. The other three did appear less worn. But if his sense of direction was on track, they all appeared to be more direct routes to the cathedral then the original one. The walls were high enough to block the sun overhead. Disorientation was a considerable factor. 

He took the original path, deciding it felt right. It quickly veered downward, and for several hundred feet, he questioned if he was being taken around the buildings, away from the center. But then he hit a sharp corner, and from there began a sharp climb. As the path wound upward, the walls around him also became shorter, until he was finally taller than the walls. Turning to look down, he could see the path he had taken, and the other paths as well. At least one led to a dead end, with a dark shadow at the end of it, perhaps a steep drop into the ground, like a hole. The other two kept winding, and he couldn’t see where they went, but they folded in on themselves many times, meaning he would have been walking four times the distance to reach the same point, assuming they had an exit. Tracing them with his eyes, he realized they merged with each other, meaning he would have gone in an elaborate circle had he taken them.

He continued up the path, until the walls were gone completely, along with the cobblestone, replaced by a smooth concrete path. An arched metal gate, with swirling elvin patterns and glittering without rust, stood before him. He brushed the steel with his fingers, finding no dust, but more surprising was the glow beneath his fingers. Words formed, shimmering before the gate, first in writing he didn’t know, then they changed to the language he did.

_Reach the crystal, one wish shall be granted to thee_

The words faded, replaced by a new line.

_Fail, a part of this place ye shall be_

It wasn’t in his nature to hesitate. He pushed open the double doors of the gate. Walls of metal and glass now stretched and sealed the building before him. Looking up he could see the cathedral, surprised at how close it had grown, but it was still somehow tucked behind the building before him. 

The sound of creaking metal made him turn around, and he saw tendrils of metal had wrapped across the doors, sealing him inside. 

He explored the path that wrapped around the building. The metal wall opposite of it was only about four feet tall, but it was more of a railing, as he could see the ground drop away like a cliff. The cobblestone maze was below it, endlessly weaving, but to fall that far would kill any man. Several high windows appeared as though they could be opened, but he decided to explore before making his choice. This building was not endless, like the maze, and he quickly came to its corner.

He heard a creaking sound, like a metal door was opening, and sensing a presence, he took a stance against the wall, grabbing the hilt of his sword.

“No,” he heard someone mutter, and then the slamming of the metal plate, or whatever it was. He thought of the white trotter, tied in the stable below.

Letting go of the hilt, but still staying on guard, he slowly turned the corner.

“Who’s there?!” cried a voice, soft, effeminate, but the one who stood down the path wore a common man’s tunic, and had brown hair cropped roughly above his shoulders.

“I mean no harm,” Tezuka said, holding up his hands. They were still several feet apart. The other - a teenage boy, he surmised, by the look of that round, youthful face and short stature - had his hand on a knife holder around his belt. It was a smart move, but it wouldn’t do a thing against Tezuka’s sword if he chose to wield it. 

The teen stared at him for a few more seconds with wide, blue eyes, then relaxed. “I see that, apologies, you startled me.” His lips drew into a friendly smile, that pushed up his cheeks and made his eyes crinkle into upward crescents. “Are you another come to have your wish granted?”

“Ah,” Tezuka nodded. “I am Tezuka Kunimitsu.”

“Fuji Syuusuke,” the youth cupped his chin with his hand. “Are you a knight, Sir Tezuka?”

“Yes, but you needn’t call me that. I am here of my own will, not any kingdoms.”

“Is that so…” Fuji glanced back at the door. “Well, not-Sir Tezuka, shall we traverse this maze together? We both have wishes…”

“Yes, that’s practical.” Tezuka had no intention of letting the young man face the dangers in the cathedral alone, regardless.

Smiling, Fuji looked glad for the company. “I know this is the way in, but I can’t get the hatch open.”

“How do you know?” Tezuka asked, moving to look. The hatch had certainly been what had made the noises from before. It was more of a metal plate, about two feet high and three wide, and he could see hinges at its top and nothing sealing it.

“I searched the walls. There are a few doors but they’re welded closed. And every part of the wall has windows, except this one.”

Glancing up, Tezuka could see Fuji was right. About every half foot, a new window started, each several feet wide, though they were far too high to look through. Above the grate though, and a few feet around it, was nothing but a solid metal wall. 

He bent down to push at it. It was indeed hard to open, scrapping against the ground, then even as he managed to get past its connection to the soil, it pushed back with intense resistance, creaking loudly. 

“That’s farther than I got it open,” Fuji said, as Tezuka allowed it to slide back in place. Looking at the youth’s slender arms, Tezuka couldn’t imagine Fuji was very strong. Silver bracelets on both of the young man’s wrists caught his eye, as they seemed too valuable for a farmer’s boy. Perhaps he was the son of a merchant. He also wore a silver chain around his neck, with an aqua stone embedded in a pendant. 

He realized he was also being examined, as blue eyes peered across his armor, covering finely woven nobleman’s garb. Breaking the moment, he motioned for Fuji to step back, and drew his sword.

“ _Secare, naufragii,_ ” he whispered, white light streaking from his lips down his arm then sword blade, and he made a lightning fast strike against the hinges.

“Hmm,” Fuji hummed, as the grate crashed to the ground. “You’re strong.”

Tezuka didn’t reply as he pulled the grate out of the way, then bent down. A short metal tunnel lay beyond the grate, that opened at the end, but another metal wall blocked his view of anything else.

“I’ll go first,” said Fuji, and he crawled inside before Tezuka could respond.

Fuji pulled himself through, then called back, “It’s fine, there’s nothing dangerous.”

After crawling in himself, Tezuka stood to find another maze. The walls of metal were just barely above his head, and pushing himself up, he could tell that from where they were to the other end of the building, were metal panels blocking the way. They weren’t trapped, though, as two pathways went off from where they stood.

“Do you hear that?” Fuji said quietly, placing his hand on Tezuka’s arm in a nervous gesture.

Tezuka strained his ears, and then he heard it - the sound of something _large_ , dragging against the ground. The faint rustling of a chain was also there, then confirmed when a reverberating bang against the metal walls went off.

“Guess I spoke too soon,” Fuji sighed, putting a hand back on his dagger.

“It’s not close,” Tezuka said, eyes narrowing through his glasses as he focused his senses. “We should be able to avoid it.” But it eliminated his plan to cut through the metal walls. The narrow corridors would likely be to their advantage if it got close.

He reached into his pouch, to gather another tool he’d brought with him in preparation.

“You have a spool of thread?” Fuji sounded amused. 

“My friend told me of this place, and what sort of traps to expect. But he suspected they change, and it appears he is correct in that.” 

He looked around for a place to tie the thread, noticing that what they’d thought was a tunnel was just a large metal vent that was positioned above the grate. It went up past the ceiling, which explained why there was no window there. He went underneath it again, to tie the thread to one of the ragged hinges.

“What sort of traps did he tell you about?” Fuji asked, with a tinge of concern.

“Monsters, mostly,” said Tezuka as he worked.

He let Fuji pick their direction, so they headed left, letting the large wooden spool slowly unravel. 

“If your friend came back to tell you, then he got his wish?”

“Yes,” Tezuka nodded. “He wished to save a friend… and undo a mistake.”

“But you only get one wish,” Fuji said questioningly.

“Ah… he said he wished to undo the mistake first, but that the angel said it was too vague a wish, and to focus on what he really wanted, which was saving his friend,” Tezuka explained as they walked slowly, ears open. They occasionally heard the beast clang against the walls, but it didn’t sound any closer. 

“Angel?” Fuji sounded surprised.

“. . . Yes. He said there’s an angel at the end of all this, that grants the wish.”

“Is that so…”

“Did you hear differently?”

“I thought the crystal grants your wish,” Fuji shrugged. 

That matched the inscription on the gate. Tezuka wished Sanada explained things more clearly.

He was thankful for having brought the thin thread on the large spool, because it felt like they kept walking forever.

“Nee, Tezuka… what is your wish?” Fuji’s blue eyes shone in the cold pathway, reflecting off the sunlight that came through the windows.

“I wish to stop the war,” Tezuka said, having nothing to hide. 

“Are you talking about the tension between Hyoutei and Rikkaidai?”

“Ah.” No one was unaffected by it, as the border skirmishes grew and forces amassed. The two empires had been at peace for generations, but their current rulers were broiling, lusting for more. 

“That sounds like a pretty big wish,” Fuji chuckled lightly.

“I know, which is why I won’t be making so vague a wish as, prevent a war. I will ask for a tool instead, one which will help me.”

“I see,” Fuji looked thoughtful. “You want a weapon, a deterrent. But which side will you take?”

“Neither,” Tezuka shook his head. “I have friends who are important to me, on both sides, who don’t want this to escalate. The man who told me about this place, Sanada Genichirou. He is third in line to the throne. He doesn’t have the power he needs. We trained together with another, Atobe Keigo, who’s family is the wealthiest in Hyoutei. But King Sakaki has refused their influence in this matter.” 

A large pounding interrupted him, closer than before. The spindle was halfway empty. They hadn’t come to another fork, but the path they were on wound endlessly.

“This is sounding complicated for only one wish,” Fuji said, once the sound faded and they felt safe to continue. He sounded curious rather than condescending. 

“Yes… which is why I will ask for the angel itself.”

“The- ... what?” stuttered the small brunette.

“It may be pretentious,” Tezuka sighed. “But on discussing it with Sanada, we realized that instead of asking for a singular action - why not ask for the aid of one with great powers itself?”

“Ha….” Tilting his head, Fuji asked, “Then, since it’s to fight a war, why not ask for the demon?”

Tezuka froze. “A demon?”

“The one who told me of this place didn’t mention an angel,” Fuji explained. “But I was told of a demon. If you wish upon the crystal for someone to die, the demon will go kill them for you, or so the story went.”

Tezuka was silent for a long moment, before responding, “I'm not looking for a weapon to kill, but a shield to protect.”

“I see… that’s very noble.” Fuji’s tone in his last words was wistful. 

“Fuji, what is your wish?” Tezuka asked.

“Maa… certainly not so grand,” Fuji chuckled softly, but an intense sadness grew in his eyes as he clutched one of his bracelets. “I...am trapped. I have a curse upon me, that causes those around me… to die. I don’t…”

Tezuka’s eyes grew wide as he recognized the genuine pain within the smaller man’s eyes.

“... It won’t happen just being near me,” Fuji assured him, misinterpreting Tezuka’s expression as fear for himself. “It’s just… not in my nature. I don’t like hurting people, and it’s… just as hard, seeing people hurt because of me.” He laughed, but it sounded like he was covering his pain. “See, my wish is very selfish, it’s only to help me myself. No grand stopping of wars-”

The banging was much closer this time, and they could make out the distinct steps of the very large creature, as it made its way… somewhere. Perhaps towards them. 

The spindle was almost empty.

“This pathway… it’s like everything in my life,” Fuji sighed, sounding desolate. “I keep walking but never go anywhere. Perhaps I should just go back to the entrance and leave.”

Tezuka didn’t want to tell the youth that he didn’t think they could leave, but going back to the entrance sounded as good an idea as any. “Yes, let’s go back, perhaps there’s a clue we overlooked.”

Fuji offered to wrap the spindle, and made quick work rewrapping it with his nimble fingers as they returned at a much faster pace then they’d been cautiously going. Once back at the entrance, Tezuka looked over the metal walls and tried to trace the path they’d take if they went the other direction. 

“Nee, Tezuka,” said Fuji. “If we’re going to the cathedral, then at some point we need to go up, right? We should be able to see a staircase.” He stood on his tippy toes, making him look even more delicate and childlike as he gripped the top of the wall but failed to see over.

He was right, Tezuka thought, as he noted that there really was no sign that the maze would take them to a staircase in any direction. With the light of the windows, he could see the floor was a large rectangle, and there was clearly no gap in the ceiling anywhere he could see. He turned back to where they’d crawled in, wondering if they’d made a mistake entering. It occurred to him, as he stood instead of ducked, that the vent that forced them to crawl was also the only thing that went up into the ceiling.

“ _Secare, naufragii._ ”

The cut went silently for its speed. Fuji tapped the metal vent, humming appreciatively as a perfectly cut piece of metal tipped forward. Inside, running up along the wall, was a ladder.

“I guess you found our way up,” Fuji chuckled, pulling himself up and beginning to climb. Tezuka followed after, the sound of the unknown creature’s chains banging against the metal maze ringing in his ears.

They appeared in a narrow hallway, windows lining one side and an empty metal wall the other. Compared to weaving through the maze, it did not take them long to reach the end, where a dim corridor waited. They came out of what Tezuka realized was a small side door behind the columns of a large worship hall. 

They were inside the cathedral. Colorful light passed through stained glass windows onto empty stone benches. None of the wooden tools or furniture, nor anything cloth or degradable was anywhere, leaving the area bare. If any gold or silver had been here, it was long gone. 

The place still felt sacred, as if the air itself was trembling. They walked silently through the aisle. Fuji’s blue orbs glowed with reverence, and Tezuka wondered if his were the same. 

Then came the screech.

It pierced the air, destroying the peaceful silence, and was followed by the sound of scampering clawed feet. Tezuka had faced enough beasts in his life to recognize that whatever had made it was not human, and that there was more than one being somewhere in the rafters above them.

They hurried past the stone altar. Within the back wall were three arched openings, with staircases going up from each. Peering inside each, it was clear they stretched far above. Tezuka did recall seeing three spires coming from the cathedral, which meant each held a different destination. 

The screeching came again, this time in a series, and accompanied by a lower pitched wailing of something screaming back. 

“I have a bad feeling about what will happen if we choose wrong,” Fuji said softly.

Looking upward, Tezuka gripped his sword, wondering if they’d have to charge ahead despite Fuji’s instinct.

The young brunette looked past him, turning to look towards the top of the stairwell. “The stars look beautiful, even from here.”

Frowning, Tezuka looked towards the same direction, and realized that he could make out twinkling lights near the top of the tower. He popped open his pocket watch. “It’s only 5 p.m.,” he said. “The summer days are long… we shouldn’t see stars yet.”

“Hm…” Fuji drew back and went to look at the other stairways. “The one on the other end is the same, but the middle staircase is pitch black.”

They nodded to each other, then headed up into the darkness.

Breathing hard, they silently agreed to rest near the top of the staircase. The endless trek in pitch darkness had been terrifying in its own way, but at some point, Fuji had reached out to hold his hand. 

Pulling out a loaf of bread, Tezuka broke some off to hand to Fuji.

“Thank you,” said the blue eyed youth, and Tezuka knew it was for more than the bread. “I’m glad I’m not here alone.”

Tezuka felt the same, as his companion handed him an apple in exchange for the bread.

Snack time over, they went up the last stairs to find themselves at the edge of a bridge. They were still inside the spire, Tezuka realized, but the staircase must have circled around the long, hollow inner drop of the tower itself. Nearly thirty feet across, he could not begin to estimate how far the tower stretched down or up, nor did he want to know what lay at the bottom of its pit. Other than the bridge, no other structure crossed the vast expanse. The bridge was wide, though, and had stone railings to protect its travellers. It sloped upwards, and another arched entryway waited for them at the other side. 

They’d barely started across the bridge, when the screech tore upward along with the screecher. Instinctively, Tezuka shoved Fuji down so they both crouched as he drew his sword. Fuji drew his dagger, hands shaking, and Tezuka could tell the unblemished blade had never touched anything harder than fruit. 

The screech came again, along with the sound of flapping wings. A dark shadow passed over the bridge, and finally Tezuka made out what it was. Shaped like a human, but with red-brown skin wrinkled over bones and leathery, bat like wings, the silver horned demon screamed at them with burning red eyes. An iron collar and cuffs around its neck and wrists did nothing to slow it down, as no chains were visible to bind it. 

Grimacing, Tezuka held up his sword in warning, using his other arm to cover Fuji and signal the youth to stay back. He got the distinct feeling that those red eyes were focused on the smaller man, its teeth bared and dripping saliva. 

Undeterred by the sword, it screeched and dove towards them. Tezuka took his stance, “ _Praesidio, secare_ ,” he quickly chanted, then slashed in three clean motions.

“RAAaaaahhhrrr!” The demon screamed and fell away, but not before slashing Tezuka’s shoulder with its claws, before dropping back down the tower.

“Run!” Fuji cried, grabbing Tezuka and pulling him across the bridge, as the sound of many more wings and screeches began to rise from the tower’s depths.

The next staircase was a simple spiral, and they hid within its curves, panting hard as the screams and flapping of wings continue to echo behind them. 

Hand losing its strength, Tezuka’s sword clattered to the ground as he grasped his wounded shoulder. He lay back against the stone wall, sliding down until he sat on the stairway.

“Tezuka...” Fuji slowly bent down, and placed his hands over Tezuka’s, pulling them away and replacing them with his own. Fuji whispered words in a language the knight didn’t know, and his eyes began to glow. His hands felt warm on Tezuka’s wound, and he could feel it, the blood clotting, skin and flesh mending.

“I was right…” Tezuka breathed deeply as he recovered. “You are a healer.”

“You thought that before I started healing you?” Fuji gave him an amused look.

“You said it’s not in your nature to hurt people. The other healers I know are like that. If they ever do… harm, or kill, they lose their power. I’ve seen it happen.”

“It just means I’m not good in a fight,” Fuji sighed, removing his hands as his work was done. 

Tezuka shifted his arm, noting it was sore but mobile. That the demon had clawed at the weak joint of his armor made him think it was intelligent, which was a terrible thought of its own.

The stairs emptied into a chamber, with nothing in it other than stretching grey walls, light from slits far above, and the largest door Tezuka had ever scene, a large half circle covered in a conglomerate of…things. Knobs, gears, levers, buttons, locks - every one was different. Many seemed too high to be reachable, but he thought that with how some of the levers and knobs were placed, they could be climbed on to reach the others.

After several minutes of examination, there were no obvious clues or patterns they could see. The door - or perhaps gate was a better word for it - was a piece of chaos, as if someone had fun just sticking contraptions randomly into it. The gears and bolts made him wonder if there was some sort of sequence they were supposed to engage. 

“Let’s just try one,” Fuji suggested, grabbing the nearest handle and turning it before Tezuka could remind him to keep up his guard. 

Nothing happened.

“Hm….” Fuji pressed a button, which made the gear next to it turn. But other than that, there was no sound or motion.

They started grabbing everything they could, twisting, pulling, tugging, pushing. Other than a few gears twisting and pulleys changing position, nothing seemed to really happen. Tezuka wondered if they were going to have to climb after all, when he noticed a line near the edge of the door. Running his fingers along it, he realized there was a cut here, and then another at a ninety degree angle, that connected with the gate’s edge. Like the rest of the door, it was covered in gears, buttons, and protruding screws that added to the confusion. But there was only one door knob within the lines, right in the center, with a simple brass sphere with its color worn down from being rubbed by hands, turning it…

Turning it himself, he gaped at the simplicity of it, as the small section opened, a door all of its own.

Fuji came over from where he’d been tugging at a chain, smiled at him, and then went through, Tezuka close behind.

They felt the vibrations before hearing the rumbling and seeing its source. The long hall they entered seemed to tremble itself, as large round boulders careened across it in both directions. Gripping his sword, Tezuka watched the boulders with his eyes, trying to determine a pattern. It was impossible not to imagine the consequence of a mistimed step, of one of the wrecking balls smashing into human bone and flesh, twisting and smushing in what was undoubtedly a horrible end.

“Tezuka, look at this,” called Fuji, voice loud over the rumbling as he waved Tezuka over to a pedestal near the door. On it was a wooden model that reminded Tezuka of a complex engineering toy Atobe had shown him, with tubes and tracks cleverly arranged to allow marbles to roll around it. He didn’t understand how it was working, with marbles dropping out of the tubes and then rolling into tubes on the other side - there was no steam he could see, no gears or mechanism to allow the marbles to start their gravity roll again. 

While there were several tracks, they all dropped their marbles into the same rectangular box, and even without a track the marbles rolled perfectly across it to drop into a continuation of the tubes. Tezuka realized that the marbles were timed the same as the boulders, meaning the model was the room without its upper half. 

“This is amazing…” Fuji said, reaching to snatch one of the marbles before it could finish rolling back into a tube. He let the marble sit in his hand, but it didn’t start rolling on its own, seaming like a perfectly normal orb of glass.

Fuji grabbed another, and then another. At first the change wasn’t obvious, but as he kept grabbing marbles, putting him in his pouch, Tezuka realized that the boulders were thinning out as well, coming less frequently and still timed with the model. 

Finally Fuji was done, a grapefruit sized bag of marbles going into his pouch, and the boulders were also no more.

“I don’t understand this place,” Tezuka sighed, as they walked through the now empty hall. Dark tube-like holes went up into the walls, matching the angles from the model, though Tezuka couldn’t imagine that there were tubes of scalable size outside the cathedral. 

“It does seem silly,” Fuji hummed. “Can tests like these really show you’re worthy?”

The next room was small compared to the others, and though it seemed less dangerous it was just as chaotic. Douzens of pains of glass, each with a pole in the middle and rotating like a revolving door, twirled at various paces. Each was nearly touching the next, making it impossible to walk around. It was both a maze and an obstacle course. 

At least there were no signs of monsters. He considering cutting straight through it, but if the glass shattered spectacularly, it could cut them badly. He doubted Fuji’s healing powers could manage that, and if glass hit their throats or vitals, the result could be deadly. 

“Maybe we can make this easier,” Fuji said, bending down and pulling out the bag of marbles. He let them flow out with a swing, giving them enough momentum to reach the spinning doors of glass. Chiming sounds went off in an eerie, yet lovely tune, as the marbles hit the glass at various angles, and shot off into other places. 

The marbles did seem to be collecting, Tezuka realized, the majority of them pushed from place to place and across the floor. He forced himself to memorize their path, as he saw a few of them trickle to the other side. He stepped in first, gritting his teeth as a quickly revolving glass pushed into him. It wasn’t fast enough to hurt him but it did push him, and he felt like he himself was a marble being shoved from door to door. He could see some of the marbles sitting motionless, and that some of the glasses weren’t rotating at all, and instinctively avoided those. 

He’d probably only gone twenty feet, had his path been straight, as he half-stepped, half was pushed onto the other side. 

Satisfied that the course was at least safe, he started to call his companion to step through. “Fu-”

The glass stopped rotating.

Like a wall of defenders dropping their shields into place, with a deafening sound the glass doors all snapped to face the same direction, forming four layers of walls between him and the other brunette. The snap echoed in the room, then faded into a deathly silence.

Tezuka’s eyes widened as he looked at Fuji on the other side of the room, the youth’s hands pressed up against the glass in a helpless gesture. Blue orbs shimmered anxiously at him, then Fuji bowed his head, his bands falling over his eyes and hiding his expression.

Tezuka drew his sword.

“Don’t,” said Fuji, his words clear despite his quiet voice. “This glass is magicked. Even if you shatter it, the results will not be good.”

“There has to be a trick to get through this.” Tezuka looked around, but all he saw were the walls of glass between them and the metal walls around him. There was one entry way beyond, with steps going out of his view, but he had a feeling once he left this room, he couldn’t go back.

“It’s fine,” Fuji breathed, his face staying shadowed. “It just means I’m not worthy.”

“I don’t believe that,” Tezuka grimaced, scratching the tip of his sword across the glass, thinking of every spell he knew and if there was one that could help them.

“I didn’t come here because of a curse.” Fuji’s voice echoed across the glass. “I wanted… I wanted someone dead. I wanted to wish to the demon, that it would kill him for me. I… couldn’t kill him myself.” 

Tezuka placed his hand on the glass, mimicking Fuji’s gesture. There was no hate or anger in the young man’s voice, only sadness and regret.

“I’m not good, Tezuka. I’m vengeful and spiteful and a liar. I brought this curse upon myself.” He finally looked up, his lips twisting into the mask of a smile he’d worn when they met. “Go reach the crystal and make your wish. You’re worthy, Tezuka Kunimitsu.”

Tezuka slowly sheathed his sword, balling his fist with determination as he turned away and headed through the exit and up the stairs.

His trek was short compared to all the other stairways. Even before he reached the end of it, he smelled flowers and greenery. He entered a lush garden, covered by a dome of stained glass. Orange and yellow lights danced along vine covered walls, together with purple flowers. Orchids he had only ever seen in paintings, along with bromeliads and thriving bushy ginger plants, grew from cracked pots and in some places, mounds of soil. In the center of the room, a healthy apple tree showed its wares. 

Behind the tree, a hooded figure stood in white robes embroidered with swirling silver thread. Its identity was unmistakable, though, as large white feathery wings rustled on its back. Thin silver chains crossed in x's across the feathers, fastened to the wings' edges by cuffs like jewelry that sat on an earlobe. 

The angel spoke with a booming voice, like a thousand voices calling together:

“VALIANT WARRIOR, YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF. FOR REACHING THIS PLACE, I WILL GRANT YOU ONE WISH. TELL ME YOUR WISH.”

Tezuka did not hesitate.

“I wish for the wish of the boy outside, the one on the floor below, to be granted.”

The angel was silent, unmoving. Tezuka wondered if he needed to state what Fuji's wish was, when the booming voice finally spoke:

“YOU BARELY KNOW HIM.” The wings rustled within their chains. “IS THAT TRULY WHAT YOU WISH?”

“Yes,” Tezuka nodded.

The angel was still.

“AS YOU TRAVELLED HERE, YOU SPOKE OF ANOTHER WISH. YOU YEARNED FOR MY POWERS. IS THAT NOT YOUR ONE TRUE WISH?”

Tezuka blinked, realizing he should not be surprised the angel knew what he'd spoken of.

“That was my wish before. I have a new wish, now. This is what I wish.” 

He would fight with his own power, he decided. Freeing Fuji from his horrible curse that made him so sad was more important. 

The angel was silent, then stepped around the tree to come toward him. When the angel spoke again, his voice was soft, just one voice, a familiar one. 

“Then, your wish shall be granted.” The angel removed his hood, to reveal Fuji's smiling face.

“Fuji….” Tezuaka’s mouth fell open. “Why…”

“All those who come here, who fail to reach the crystal, become part of this place,” Fuji explained. “Me, the demons, the other beings here… we all came to make a wish. Now, we help or hinder those who come, so that only the worthy reach the crystal.” His white robe vanished as though it were an illusion. Without it, Tezuka could see the bracelets connected to thin chains, that ran up Fuji’s arms, linking to the necklace around his neck, and webbing out to his wings. 

“I don’t believe you couldn’t find the crystal,” Tezuka determined. Angel or not, he’d seen enough to know that Fuji was smart and skillful.

“I did,” Fuji chuckled bitterly. “The crystal was before me, but I couldn’t reach for it, couldn’t bring myself to wish for another’s death. The cathedral sensed my failure, and I became apart of it, a cog in its machine to grant wishes.” He motioned for Tezuka to move further into the garden. “Come - the crystal is here, all you have to do is reach for it.”

Tezuka stepped past him, noting the chains around Fuji grow taught. Pushing past a curtain of vines, he saw it - pulsing with a purple white light, jagged and long like a stalagmite, was a literal crystal, floating on its own power, its bottom most point nearly a foot off the ground.

Removing his gloves, he reached out to it, touching its cool surface with his hands.

A blinding light erupted from its center, coating the room and streaming outwards from the stained glass. Tezuka felt a consciousness, there within the crystal, and then the light was gone. He turned when he heard Fuji moan, then collapse to his knees as the chains around him turned to dust.

Tezuka rushed to help him, but Fuji quickly recovered, his wings extending brilliantly as he drew up on his own. 

“Not a bad choice, knight,” Fuji laughed, his voice silvery and light. “I’m free to chose to help you, and I do. I want to go with you, to stop the war.”

He reached out for Tezuka, and Tezuka reached back, taking his hands. He’d clearly made a mistake, thinking Fuji was younger than him. He didn’t even know if angels had an age.

“Let’s see… I can heal, you already know that, though you knew I healed Yukimura, that’s why you thought my powers would be useful, yes?” 

“It was Yukimura’s idea,” Tezuka admitted. “He said the wounds and illness within him should have been incurably by any healer. He also said you made a barrier, to perform the healing uninterrupted.”

“I can fly and teleport too,” Fuji beamed. “You really hit the jackpot.”

Even as he spoke, the air around them began to swirl, and Tezuka felt light as the world faded around them.

* * *

EPILOGUE

Thankfully, they appeared over the stable. Tezuka went to retrieve his stallion, surprised to see the trotter was not there.

“A white horse?” Fuji cupped his chin with his hand. “That might have been the shapeshifter, Niou. He was here even before I became trapped, and that was … a while ago.”

Tezuka decided he didn’t want to know how long ago that was. 

Fuji took Tezuka’s hand, then placed his other hand on the stallion’s mane, and the world once again dissolved around them.

They had a war to stop.

**Author's Note:**

> This is all based on a dream I had, that I can't remember anymore, but I woke up and wrote a bunch of things down and then developed this lengthy outline and then didn't actually write it until Nano this year. -Sweatdrop- but I really wanted a TezuFuji fic to post for imperfekti as a Christmas gift. Merry Christmas my fellow TeFu fans!


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